XPEL on a Black Car... How good for eliminating swirls and making it easier to care for?

[James Anders]

I know XPEL Ultimate is great for minimizing stone chips, etc. But what about making it easier to care for and clean a black car?

Black cars are notoriously difficult to keep clean and I've had some success with Zaino. I'm just looking for something that doesn't take me a lot of time and effort to keep the car shiny and swirl-free.

Does XPEL do that?

-J

 

[cassiri]

in a word, yes. I did it because I like to keep my car clean all the time and carefully washing it every other day is not going to work for a paint finish. With the Xpel Ultimate I can wipe it down carefully with a detailing cloth and spray. The Xpel rinse free wash solution is excellent when the car is lightly dirty as well. I've only used a hose to wash my car maybe 3 times in the past year as a result.

Full disclosure, the shine of the paint is not exactly the same as without the wrap. It does "dull" the look every so slightly. Part of this dulling though is what keeps you from seeing imperfections. So to my eye it just looks much smoother and cleaner with no swirls. To most people I'm quite sure they have no idea it is wrapped.

The cost of wrapping the whole car is stupid expensive, but depending on your budget it can be totally worth it.

 

[XPEL]

I know XPEL Ultimate is great for minimizing stone chips, etc. But what about making it easier to care for and clean a black car?

Black cars are notoriously difficult to keep clean and I've had some success with Zaino. I'm just looking for something that doesn't take me a lot of time and effort to keep the car shiny and swirl-free.

Does XPEL do that?

-J

Hi James,

With XPEL ULTIMATE, cleaning is easier than ever. The biggest issue when washing black vehicles, is that swirl marks inevitably show up, whether it's a dirty microfiber, pay 'n' spray car wash brush, etc. The self-healing properties of the film will prevent these swirl marks from appearing. After traveling for a few weeks due to work, i take my car, that's usually been sitting outside, through an automatic car wash and any swirl marks it picks up, disappear with the heat from the sun.

With XPEL ULTIMATE there is no loss of gloss between a protected panel and a non-protected panel. The reason is because not all of our customer fully wrap their vehicles. Most people do the high impact areas (front end, rocker panels and luggage area), and the gloss matches the unprotected areas, so its optically clear.

I dont have a black Tesla example, in the mean time take a look at this Red Model X we recently wrapped.

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[docrice]

Mine is the original Blue Metallic (it's essentially black unless there's direct sunlight) and I have XPEL on the entire car. Paint protection film is a different product than a coating (CQuartz, Opti-Coat, Modesta, Gyeon Quartz, etc.) which is a slightly different product than a sealant like Zaino (which I used to use a long time ago).

There's also other film brands like Suntek which I understand shows the paint through a bit more clearer. Some installers prefer one over the other, some seem to work with both.

One of the reasons I went with paint film was because I'm picky about swirls and rock chips. Film will minimize the chances of permanent rock chips and the self-healing properties means light scratches fade away in time when heat bears down on the surface. From a cost perspective, I went with a balanced approach of having paint film installed and then a regular sealant (in my case I have Sonax Net Shield on top of the film which gets re-applied once or twice a year). That provides me a nice physical barrier from random incoming stones but also some degree of hydrophobic slickness which makes washing and drying way easier.

 

[XPEL]

I know XPEL Ultimate is great for minimizing stone chips, etc. But what about making it easier to care for and clean a black car?

Black cars are notoriously difficult to keep clean and I've had some success with Zaino. I'm just looking for something that doesn't take me a lot of time and effort to keep the car shiny and swirl-free.

Does XPEL do that?

-J

Hey James, while this isn't a Tesla, this Audi TTS just left our shop and it looked too amazing not to get some pictures of it, had to share some nice shots. This Audi received a full front end and rockers of XPEL ULTIMATE. While there is some orange peel texture, its mimicking the paint under the film.

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[DuplexDianne]

Hey James, while this isn't a Tesla, this Audi TTS just left our shop and it looked too amazing not to get some pictures of it, had to share some nice shots. This Audi received a full front end and rockers of XPEL ULTIMATE. While there is some orange peel texture, its mimicking the paint under the film.

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Unable to look at your attachments for some reason. Says I don't have permission...can you please re-post another way??

 

[James Anders]

I can't see these either.

 

[Ashkenaz]

Suspense is killing me..... Wrap or don't wrap? My Black Tesla is inbound!!!

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Wrap. Without question.

I had my black Model S fully wrapped with Xpel Ultimate from day one, and after 2 years it didn't have a single swirl, scratch, or halo on it. And this was after letting my 4 year old "help" wash the car every time. Dropped wash mits and all.

To those who say it reduces glossiness or adds orange peel, I simply present the following photos of my wrapped cars:

'Nuf said.

 

[cassiri]

Does the clear guard nano have self healing properties? If so that is a good alternative, but without it I wouldn't try it. The self healing is for real.

 

[DuplexDianne]

Wrap. Without question.

I had my black Model S fully wrapped with Xpel Ultimate from day one, and after 2 years it didn't have a single swirl, scratch, or halo on it. And this was after letting my 4 year old "help" wash the car every time. Dropped wash mits and all.

To those who say it reduces glossiness or adds orange peel, I simply present the following photos of my wrapped cars:

View attachment 180106 View attachment 180107 View attachment 180108 View attachment 180114View attachment 180115

'Nuf said.

Looks great! Does a full wrap include the roof and headlights/taillights? Glass windows are left alone?

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Looks great! Does a full wrap include the roof and headlights/taillights? Glass windows are left alone?

Depends on the installer. If I recall, in my case they both did the headlights standard and I paid extra for the taillights. All glass was left alone, though on the black car I did have Clearplex installed on the front windshield.

 

[XPEL]

Unable to look at your attachments for some reason. Says I don't have permission...can you please re-post another way??

I can't see these either.

Suspense is killing me..... Wrap or don't wrap? My Black Tesla is inbound!!!

Sorry y'all. Use the TMC media server and can't edit the privacy settings...will upload different way. Let me know if you can see them now

 

[SDRick]

Ballpark, what are we talking about here to get protection in the high impact areas versus a complete?

 

[XPEL]

Ballpark, what are we talking about here to get protection in the high impact areas versus a complete?

Keep in mind these are what we typically see across the country and it can vary with these factors:

- Where you live

- Demand for paint protection film

- Size of your vehicle


For a partial front end: This includes 18-24” up the hood and fenders, front bumper, mirrors and sometimes headlights. This ranges from $895 - $1,195.


For full front coverage: This includes the entire hood and front fenders, front bumper, mirrors and sometimes headlights. This ranges from $1,895 - $2,195.


For full car coverage: This includes every painted surface on the car possible. This ranges from $4,500 - $8,000.

 

[Ashkenaz]

How did you get those clouds on there?
Looks nice. I'm debating.

 

[XPEL]

How did you get those clouds on there?
Looks nice. I'm debating.

We've finally had some nicer weather this week in Texas, have to take advantage of it while it lasts.

If you have any questions, please let us know

 

[Cityboy44]

Hi James,

With XPEL ULTIMATE, cleaning is easier than ever. The biggest issue when washing black vehicles, is that swirl marks inevitably show up, whether it's a dirty microfiber, pay 'n' spray car wash brush, etc. The self-healing properties of the film will prevent these swirl marks from appearing. After traveling for a few weeks due to work, i take my car, that's usually been sitting outside, through an automatic car wash and any swirl marks it picks up, disappear with the heat from the sun.

With XPEL ULTIMATE there is no loss of gloss between a protected panel and a non-protected panel. The reason is because not all of our customer fully wrap their vehicles. Most people do the high impact areas (front end, rocker panels and luggage area), and the gloss matches the unprotected areas, so its optically clear.

I dont have a black Tesla example, in the mean time take a look at this Red Model X we recently wrapped.

View media item 115206View media item 115207

If my car already has swirls on it, and I apply Xpel PPF, I was told that the PPF hides the swirls and they won't be visible anymore. My local Xpel installer doesn't perform a paint correction before installation. He says it won't be necessary. Is this true? Can I just go ahead without a detail shop correcting my paint? Thanks!

 

[XPEL]

If my car already has swirls on it, and I apply Xpel PPF, I was told that the PPF hides the swirls and they won't be visible anymore. My local Xpel installer doesn't perform a paint correction before installation. He says it won't be necessary. Is this true? Can I just go ahead without a detail shop correcting my paint? Thanks!

That is correct. The film's adhesive will mask/fill in existing fine scratches and swirl marks. This means that you DO NOT need paint correction for PPF installations.

 

[XPEL]

I know XPEL Ultimate is great for minimizing stone chips, etc. But what about making it easier to care for and clean a black car?

Black cars are notoriously difficult to keep clean and I've had some success with Zaino. I'm just looking for something that doesn't take me a lot of time and effort to keep the car shiny and swirl-free.

Does XPEL do that?

-J

ULTIMATE PLUS is labeled as 'self healing' ppf because it does vanish away swirl marks upon application. However, if you're looking for a better, easier, way to keep your black paint looking clean. We also offer FUSION PLUS ceramic coating which helps repel water, mud, and road grime - for ceramic coating we also offer paint correction before application so the car's paint looks next to new when finished.